One year ago, the college recruiting process began to kindle for Midland High defensive end Traver Vliem.

MHS head coach Craig Yenzer began to receive phone calls about Vliem and eventually coaches and scouts started to show up at spring football practices to get a glimpse of him.

After being inundated by inquiries and interest over a year’s span, the year-long process finally concluded on Wednesday when Vliem signed a letter-of-intent to play football for Georgia Southern, an up-and-coming FBS program in the Sun Belt Conference.

Vliem and cornerback Raekwon Anderson, a McMurry University signee, were both celebrated during a National Signing Day ceremony at Midland High.

The event marked a closed chapter for Vliem following a year in which he received approximately 24 offers and made visits to Boise State and Central Florida.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders,” Vliem said. “It’s something you look forward to for a long time, to see everything come together is a real big deal for me.”

Even though the interest spiked in him around this time last year, Vliem said it was his persistence that got the ball rolling with his eventual landing spot.

Vliem said he was the one who made initial contact by sending game film to Central Florida defensive coaches Tyson Summers and Lorenzo Constantini, now the head coach and defensive coordinator at Georgia Southern.

“I don’t think you will get found out here if you’re not proactive,” Vliem said. “They see your film, (they say) ‘we got to get out to watch this kid.’ You have to initate everything.”

Once college coaches laid eyes on Vliem’s game film, they were impressed by one recurring trait, his motor. There’s an old saying in the football business that a player’s motor can’t be coached.

“The first thing people start noticing about Traver and continually when I talked to coaches that called about him was hard he played, his effort,” Yenzer said. “At one point, Traver actually said, ‘Now, Coach they don’t talk about whether I am a good player or not, they just talk about how hard I played.’

“I said, ‘Traver, that’s a good thing.’”

Yenzer said Vliem blossomed into a complete player when he combined his motor with better technique and enhanced football aptitude.

Vliem, who plans to major in business or sports management, will take his talents to a burgeoning Georgia Southern program that won six national titles at the FCS level and has gone 18-7 since making the jump to FBS in 2014.

The MHS senior was also charmed by the college atmosphere of Statesboro, Georgia, a town with a 2010 Census population of 28,422.

“I’ve been been bombarded with appreciation,” Vliem said. “I have been bombarded by all these different fans. It’s been amazing.

“It’s kind of a Texas A&M environment like College Station. The population of the town doubles when school is in session.”

Follow Christopher on Twitter: @chris_MRTsports

Other MHS signing capsule

RAEKWON ANDERSON

Signing school: McMurry University, Abilene, NCAA Division III

High school: Midland High

Sport: Football

Position: Cornerback

Height/Weight: 5-9/175

Anderson on why he chose McMurry: “They’re a really good business school and they’re one of the top in the country. I want to major in business management and become a sports agent.”

Notes: Anderson picked McMurry over Sul Ross State and Trinity University in San Antonio. ... Anderson led the Bulldogs with two interceptions in 2015, while recording 45 tackles. He also rushed for 333 yards and four touchdowns during his junior season. Anderson also played a prominent role on special teams for MHS. ... The senior carries a 3.13 grade point average. ... “It’s almost like a dream come true,” Anderson said. “I didn’t want football to end for me. I’m really honored to have this opportunity to play at McMurry.”